The day has finally come (and now gone)! I am officially done with my undergraduate work! The second I walked out of that last exam I was all smiles. I almost couldn't believe it. I actually got a little choked up as I was walking to the parking garage but I knew I had phone calls to make. After a brief call to my mom I started sending out a mass text message so that the world would know the wonderful news.
This has been an amazing weekend so far. Right after I left campus I went home, packed my bag and came to the hotel I rented at Coconut Grove. After a short period of fear (the 5 hour energy drinks I'd had for my last all-nighter were giving me palpitations) I shrieked! I had never seen a bathtub so huge! Definitely made for 2 (maybe 3) people. After a shower and a nap I headed out to Cheesecake Factory with a friend and had quite an amazing meal. The hostess, with whom I am friends with, sent us over a cheesecake that said "Congrats Grad!" It was so cute and thoughtful.
The night progressed and we headed out to the bar right across the way and had a few drinks. After seeing way too many skanky women girating in ways that REALLY should not be done in public we decided to move on. Off to dance! This was the first time I'd ever actually seen one of my friends dance so I was very proud of him!
After sleeping in these awesome beds we headed out for the best breakfast I've had in a long time. Truly delicious! Unfortunately, I had to head out to work for a bit so I wasn't able to shop around. Or so I thought; right when I get to work I'm told I can go home. You don't have to tell me twice! I headed home to pick up my camera and to the liquor store for "supplies."
Arriving back at the hotel, I took a moment to just relax. Watched some tv, had a drink, took a shower and then headed out with a friend to go get massages. We were so hungry though, that we stopped for pizza and it ended up being too late for our appointment. We had to reschedule it for tomorrow which is actually perfect because we plan to go out tonight.
And now here I am, blogging away, contemplating taking a quick nap before I get ready to go out to dinner with a (surprisingly large) group of friends. I wonder if we should go back to the place we had breakfast? Hmmm....
Ok, nap time!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Almost Done
I don't have much to write today except for the fact that it finally hit me; in 5 days I will have a Bachelor's Degree! It's about time! Though the fun times seem to have gone by too fast, in the past couple of semesters I questioned whether or not I'd make it out in one piece.
So what is a girl to do? Celebrate! Thank you, priceline.com for helping me book a 4-Star Hotel in a great area for only $65. I'll be there and partying immediately following my final. I'm looking forward to relaxing and getting together with some great friends.
So what is a girl to do? Celebrate! Thank you, priceline.com for helping me book a 4-Star Hotel in a great area for only $65. I'll be there and partying immediately following my final. I'm looking forward to relaxing and getting together with some great friends.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Making It A Habit & Dr. S
Apparently in order to for a habit (or get rid of one) it will take you approximately 3 weeks to a month. Should not be too bad if I start slow, right? So far I'm keeping that in mind and instead of opting to go for a run at 5am I am just taking the stairs up and down, no matter where I'm at. Luckily the highest level at the parking garage at school is only 5 flights up and my class is on the 4Th floor. We'll see how this goes.
I suppose blogging could very well be another habit to pick up. Let's call this day 3. Twenty-seven more to go. I really started blogging because a professor of mine recommended it; she always stressed reading and writing to improve our day to day lives. When she found out that I wanted to pursue AmeriCorps, she told me personally to do so. So, here I am. At some point I'm sure I'll email her the link to this and hopefully she'll see how she influenced my life yet again.
I'm going to welcome this digression and talk a little bit about her.
My first encounter with Dr. S was my sophomore year when I took American Government with her. Boy did she rattle my nerves! 8 am class and there were no excuses and no way to get in that door if you were there at 8:01. Did I mention that attendance was mandatory? She did not, and does not, play games. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but when we found out that she is an ex drill Sargent we knew not to mess with her!
Her class, although one of the most difficult courses I'd taken, proved to be a lot of fun. We were constantly analyzing the current political situation and learning to put theories into practical perspectives and this was the kind of thing that I loved!
Dr. S was always someone that I could approach after class. I remember making her late to her next class a couple of times because I loved talking to her. She is one of those individuals who will show you genuine interest (and lack thereof) whenever she can.
Fast forward a couple of years and I am now in my last semester at college (or so I thought). I run into Dr. S at the Political Science department and she greets me warmly. I was so surprised to see that she remembered me. Right away she asked me, "Are you taking my class next semester?" What do I say? Truth is, I hadn't planned on it but there it was, another challenge. Could I do it? On the spot I decided that I wanted to get the most out of the education I'm paying for and told her I'd sign up.
I was waiting to talk to an advisor and she stepped in and did it for me. Needless to say, the guy that was there waiting shot me a couple of dirty looks since I was getting all my questions answered on the spot. I walked out feeling accomplished and excited.
Fast forward again to the first day of her Supreme Court class. Here was where I found out I wasn't the only masoquist out there that was a part of her following. As she was giving her usual "I'm not taking crap from anyone" speech she asked for those that had taken her before to stand up. A good 1/3 of the class rose. She called us crazy and told the rest of the class to ask us if she was serious.
Throughout the semester it was really the only class I focused on. I had no interest in my other classes anymore, I was taking them just to finish and get my degree. Towards the end of the semester Dr. S and I had a little chat. She had noticed that I was "burned out" and said so to my face! Cue the waterworks. Truer words could not have been spoken. This was exactly what I needed to hear. She didn't say it in a judging way, she seemed to understand. And in fact, she did. She told me that she had felt this way once before too, she went off and joined the army.
We started talking about the AmeriCorps option and she pushed me to do it. She said it was a great opportunity and through my tears I told her the programs I was interested it. For whatever reason I am tearing up now and I can only imagine that it is because I have yet been able to express my gratitude to her. This woman does it all. She is a professor and is herself a law school student. How does she do it? I don't know the answer to this but I am so thankful God put her in my life.
I suppose blogging could very well be another habit to pick up. Let's call this day 3. Twenty-seven more to go. I really started blogging because a professor of mine recommended it; she always stressed reading and writing to improve our day to day lives. When she found out that I wanted to pursue AmeriCorps, she told me personally to do so. So, here I am. At some point I'm sure I'll email her the link to this and hopefully she'll see how she influenced my life yet again.
I'm going to welcome this digression and talk a little bit about her.
My first encounter with Dr. S was my sophomore year when I took American Government with her. Boy did she rattle my nerves! 8 am class and there were no excuses and no way to get in that door if you were there at 8:01. Did I mention that attendance was mandatory? She did not, and does not, play games. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but when we found out that she is an ex drill Sargent we knew not to mess with her!
Her class, although one of the most difficult courses I'd taken, proved to be a lot of fun. We were constantly analyzing the current political situation and learning to put theories into practical perspectives and this was the kind of thing that I loved!
Dr. S was always someone that I could approach after class. I remember making her late to her next class a couple of times because I loved talking to her. She is one of those individuals who will show you genuine interest (and lack thereof) whenever she can.
Fast forward a couple of years and I am now in my last semester at college (or so I thought). I run into Dr. S at the Political Science department and she greets me warmly. I was so surprised to see that she remembered me. Right away she asked me, "Are you taking my class next semester?" What do I say? Truth is, I hadn't planned on it but there it was, another challenge. Could I do it? On the spot I decided that I wanted to get the most out of the education I'm paying for and told her I'd sign up.
I was waiting to talk to an advisor and she stepped in and did it for me. Needless to say, the guy that was there waiting shot me a couple of dirty looks since I was getting all my questions answered on the spot. I walked out feeling accomplished and excited.
Fast forward again to the first day of her Supreme Court class. Here was where I found out I wasn't the only masoquist out there that was a part of her following. As she was giving her usual "I'm not taking crap from anyone" speech she asked for those that had taken her before to stand up. A good 1/3 of the class rose. She called us crazy and told the rest of the class to ask us if she was serious.
Throughout the semester it was really the only class I focused on. I had no interest in my other classes anymore, I was taking them just to finish and get my degree. Towards the end of the semester Dr. S and I had a little chat. She had noticed that I was "burned out" and said so to my face! Cue the waterworks. Truer words could not have been spoken. This was exactly what I needed to hear. She didn't say it in a judging way, she seemed to understand. And in fact, she did. She told me that she had felt this way once before too, she went off and joined the army.
We started talking about the AmeriCorps option and she pushed me to do it. She said it was a great opportunity and through my tears I told her the programs I was interested it. For whatever reason I am tearing up now and I can only imagine that it is because I have yet been able to express my gratitude to her. This woman does it all. She is a professor and is herself a law school student. How does she do it? I don't know the answer to this but I am so thankful God put her in my life.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
What Was That ?!?!
Despite my initial gut reaction, there are people in my "real world" that know of my blog world. Still don't know how I feel about this but I'm not going to pretend to be so important that they are all just waiting for me to write something and read it secretly. Seriously, that's what Facebook is for.
Anyway, a tidbit of information about myself that many don't know: I not-so-recently joined Match.com with a friend of mine because...well, because we could. The results have not been anything worthy of writing home about and hardly ever progress to more than a first, and a rare second date. I'm convinced that there is no single man in Miami that I am meant to be with. There just isn't.
The following is an excerpt of an email I sent a fellow blogger about my last encounter that I just felt I had to share with the world:
Anyway, a tidbit of information about myself that many don't know: I not-so-recently joined Match.com with a friend of mine because...well, because we could. The results have not been anything worthy of writing home about and hardly ever progress to more than a first, and a rare second date. I'm convinced that there is no single man in Miami that I am meant to be with. There just isn't.
The following is an excerpt of an email I sent a fellow blogger about my last encounter that I just felt I had to share with the world:
Earlier in the week, I "winked" at someone I found attractive. Reading through his profile there were at least 3 things that let me know we would never work out. Despite all this, I gave him my number and he called.
I have to say, I completely agree with a comment I read somewhere on your blog about men on dating sites and their having 3 different personas. When Carlos called, I got to meet his second one and it scared me out of ever meting the third. For starters, he had a strange panting-type of speech. I don't even want to let my mind wander enough to analyze what was going on at the other end of that conversation!
At some point he talks about Pit Bull (the rapper, not the animal) and tries to sing one of his lyrics and gets stuck. Sadly, the lyric was "1...2...3...4..." I still dont know if he cant count or if there was something else wrong with him. Pretty ridiculou, right? It gets better.
Then began his interview. He seemed to be reading off of a list of questions he had made to prep for this phone call. Innocent enough I guess, "why are you on match.com" and the such. Fine, I give in and am just brutally honest with him- I hate that question. It's silly to think that I am here for any different reason than you are. If I'm paying for something you damn sure better believe I'm not on here to play games. A little harsh I guess, but he laughed it off.
His next question, verbatim: "name 3 physical things you like in a guy." Um... OK. I b.s. my way through this and turn these questions back around on him. His answers, in between grunts, were that he wanted a "thick gurl," (I hate this spelling too, but if he were to write it I have a feeling this is exactly how he'd spell it) "eyes," (not sure if he just required the thick girl to have a pair or if there was something particular about them that he liked) "and a big ass booty." I couldn't resist it anymore, I busted out laughing. Typical hispanic man, objectifying women without any regard to how insensitive they sound. I couldn't deal with it anymore, I had to hang up. I know it was rude, but I just couldn't deal.
So...yea... that's the end of that for now.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
DailyPlate.com
On a completely unrelated note to my last post, I encountered my new favorite website today. It is thedailyplate.com. It is basically an electronic food journal that lets you upload all that you eat as well as document your calories burned through exercise as well as your everyday activities.
For anyone that is having trouble losing weight, or would just like some help with it, I see this being a very useful tool. Let me know if you've used it or want to try it out together, I'd love the company!
For anyone that is having trouble losing weight, or would just like some help with it, I see this being a very useful tool. Let me know if you've used it or want to try it out together, I'd love the company!
Hello Again
Exactly one month later, I'm back to writing. I think part of my reason for being absent was because I didn't know how to follow that last post. I didn't expect to share things that were so personal to me.
Either way, here I am.
This past month or so has been an exciting one. I've made some big decisions and am trying to sort out my life. For one, I decided not to apply for Grad School. Instead, I decided to join AmeriCorps. I am not sure which program it is that I would like to do within AmeriCorps, and have at least 9 applications out right now, but I am very excited about this. I guess you could say that this brought on by my inability to decide what it is that I want to do with my life, but I look at it as a way to give back (and buy myself some time, I'll own up to it!).
Though I was really excited about these possibilities, I quickly realized that the living stipend that they provide their volunteers with is really just not enough. At least, it isn't enough in most states. I was first interested in a job in Rhode Island. Rhode Island, though, is a very expensive state. I calculated that they only way I'd be able to make that budget work would be to get a second job, leave my car in Miami, and get a roommate.
The roommate situation was not one that fazed me as I have been living on campus for the past 4 years and am used to sharing a living space. The second job thing worried me though. I've never actually HAD to do that, I've done it in the past but just to earn extra cash. I don't know if my sanity could withstand being that far away from home (yes, I'd eventually miss it) and having to become a workaholic.
There is one very exciting aspect of all this though- getting out! I've been dying to move out of Miami (I know, I know, it's not normal. Whatever!) for a very long time now and this is a great way to do that. I will admit that I will most likely end up in Oklahoma-the cheapest state in the country- risking my life with their tornadoes -an average of 54 a year- just to be able to make ends meet.
Oklahoma- talk about a culture shock! If this is the case, I foresee this blog taking a whole new direction. Get excited, I know I am!
The only other option that I am looking at right now is a full time salaried position with Habitat for Humanity. I am going to work on that resume and give it a shot because it seems like something that I would really enjoy and that I already have some experience in. I gotta say, I see a trend! Now that I have just let life happen I am starting to see a little nook of the world that I belong in.
If there is anyone out there that has thought about or has been a part of AmeriCorps, please let me know! I'd love to hear your stories and learn about your experiences.
Either way, here I am.
This past month or so has been an exciting one. I've made some big decisions and am trying to sort out my life. For one, I decided not to apply for Grad School. Instead, I decided to join AmeriCorps. I am not sure which program it is that I would like to do within AmeriCorps, and have at least 9 applications out right now, but I am very excited about this. I guess you could say that this brought on by my inability to decide what it is that I want to do with my life, but I look at it as a way to give back (and buy myself some time, I'll own up to it!).
Though I was really excited about these possibilities, I quickly realized that the living stipend that they provide their volunteers with is really just not enough. At least, it isn't enough in most states. I was first interested in a job in Rhode Island. Rhode Island, though, is a very expensive state. I calculated that they only way I'd be able to make that budget work would be to get a second job, leave my car in Miami, and get a roommate.
The roommate situation was not one that fazed me as I have been living on campus for the past 4 years and am used to sharing a living space. The second job thing worried me though. I've never actually HAD to do that, I've done it in the past but just to earn extra cash. I don't know if my sanity could withstand being that far away from home (yes, I'd eventually miss it) and having to become a workaholic.
There is one very exciting aspect of all this though- getting out! I've been dying to move out of Miami (I know, I know, it's not normal. Whatever!) for a very long time now and this is a great way to do that. I will admit that I will most likely end up in Oklahoma-the cheapest state in the country- risking my life with their tornadoes -an average of 54 a year- just to be able to make ends meet.
Oklahoma- talk about a culture shock! If this is the case, I foresee this blog taking a whole new direction. Get excited, I know I am!
The only other option that I am looking at right now is a full time salaried position with Habitat for Humanity. I am going to work on that resume and give it a shot because it seems like something that I would really enjoy and that I already have some experience in. I gotta say, I see a trend! Now that I have just let life happen I am starting to see a little nook of the world that I belong in.
If there is anyone out there that has thought about or has been a part of AmeriCorps, please let me know! I'd love to hear your stories and learn about your experiences.
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